Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux take bigger role as marathon session brings NHL and NHLPA closer to a deal.

Optimism that the NHL season could be saved was rising as talks between players and owners went surprisingly long and continued until midnight in New York.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Steve Fehr — the NHLPA’s special counsel appeared together shortly after midnight to deliver some positive-sounding statements. It was the first time the two appeared together to talk to the media after a bargaining session.

“It was a long day, but a constructive day — we had a good dialogue,” Steve Fehr, general counsel of the NHL Players’ Association, told reporters after the meeting ended at midnight.

“I’d say it might be the best day we’ve had, which isn’t to paint too overly optimistic a picture,” Fehr said.

Bill Daly, NHL deputy commissioner, stood next to Fehr, the first time the two sides presented a statement standing side by side.

“I appreciate the effort of the players in particular,” Daly told the media scrum. “Everybody wants to get a deal done, and that’s encouraging.”

Daly said the two sides would meet again before the 11 a.m. NHL Board of Governors meeting Wednesday, and “hopefully after it as well.”

If the NHL is to be saved this season, it may well be the Pittsburgh Penguins who deserve the credit. It turns out that Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux and others within the Penguins organization have been working privately to find a resolution.

Lemieux, a Hall of Famer and co-owner of the Penguins, arrived in New York on Tuesday. He didn’t participate in the talks between players and owners that pointedly left NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr on the sidelines.

But Crosby did, as did Lemieux’s partner with the Penguins, Ron Burkle.

“Over the past few weeks, Crosby, Burkle and Lemieux have privately discussed plans to bridge the gap between players and owners,” a player said. Citing sources, the paper said all three had grown frustrated with the lack of progress.

“Crosby also will not break ranks with the players’ union, but his objective over the past week has been to establish common ground among players who have lost trust in NHL ownership and management as a whole,” sources said.

There had been a fairly tight cone of silence on the talks between player and owners, but it was believed Crosby and Burkle were the voices of reason inside the room.

The paper said the threesome were worried the league would never recover from its self-inflicted wounds if games beyond Dec. 15 were cancelled.

The paper said Burkle requested to be involved early last week. His net worth is $3.5 billion (U.S.), built on a California grocery empire, and he gained a reputation of helping strike deals with the unions he employed.

Of note, Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, was also reported to be in the hotel where the talks were taking place.

The NHL has called an afternoon news conference, but that had been preplanned due to the board of governors meetings planned for Wednesday.

In all, 18 players took part in the talks as well as six owners. Leafs co-owner Larry Tanenbaum, Jets co-owner Mark Chipman and Lightning owner Jeff Vinik were — like Burkle — taking part in talks for the first time. Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs — deemed a hard-liner — and Flames co-owner Murray Edwards were in the talks. They had been by Bettman’s side through most of the talks this fall.

Bettman and Donald Fehr were excluded from the negotiating room, although both were at the hotel. The mutually agreed idea in excluding them was to see if new personalities could bring management and the union closer.

“I’m hoping we get to where we need to be,” Bettman said before the meeting.

Bettman was scheduled to address reporters after Wednesday’s board of governors meeting. Lemieux and David Morehouse, the Penguins chief executive officer, were expected to attend.

The league locked out the players Sept. 16. More than one-third of the season has been cancelled — games through to Dec. 16. The league is losing up to $20 million a day.

With files from Star wire services

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